But whatever else you try doing with your Switch console if you decide to splash the cash, please don’t join those fans fascinated by the disgusting taste of the Nintendo cartridges. That’s just too much! Saying it’s a “bit tasty” is one thing; taking this literally is quite another.

So if you haven’t yet invested your hard-earned on it, should you? For those of us who just like a quick race of Mario Kart or a jog through Hyrule, deciding whether to risk replacing our trusty Wiis and Wii Us with a Switch is a decision we’re still on the fence about. And that’s an even more difficult choice if those revisits to our favourite games take place in infrequent phases. So is it worth buying? Well, maybe…

Firstly, what truly sets the Switch apart are the Joy-Con wireless controllers. These are different from the pack as are the high-definition tactile feedback and a directional joystick. In the truly innovative way Nintendo has gotten us used to, it takes two Joy-Cons to form a “full” controller, which you can still break up and use separately. But there’s more to the Switch than the controllers, and you’re gonna have to like it to buy it. Or you can also choose to wait. Voucherbox has looked into the prices of the latest generations of Nintendo consoles upon release and compared them to the prices they eventually reach a few months later. According to this data, the Japanese gaming giant’s consoles tend to drop slightly in price following launch. However, that’s more likely to happen when the launch has been unsuccessful. The Switch is currently available for £279.99, so it’s not a purchase to be decided lightly. After all, that’s about the cost of 10 new games for a console you already own.

So what has else the Switch got going for it?

Hybrid gaming

Let’s start with the obvious: the Switch can be used in its cradle linked up to the television, and all you have to do is slip the Joy-Cons onto the side to turn it into a handheld device you can take out and about with you. And like the DS, it isn’t going to take up much space in your bag, at only 9.4 inches long and half an inch thick (with the Joy-Cons attached). Games are stored on cartridges which are similar to Game cards used for 3DS and Nintendo DS, but which are smaller and thinner.

Quick and easy gaming on the go is a definite selling point for the Switch!

2. Multiplayer

The Switch proves itself to be more than just a Wii U Gamepad you can use anywhere by letting players share the game with their friends, whilst still only needing the one console, due to the fact that the Joy-Cons can either be used as one large joypad or two individuals. This is a feature that is very likely to appeal to those who game to socialise, and even more so for long road trips and flights, which is where the casual gamers are in their greatest numbers.

Right now the Switch has around 18 games available (though unfortunately it’s not backward compatible with any of the other Wii and DS games). Foremost amongst these is “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”. This is Switch’s flagship game – and includes amazing graphics depicting open world adventure. This is, by some distance, the biggest Zelda title so far – and now features crafting, and cooking, and loot drops (the cards that drop from the adventure battles). It’s impressive and will be much-loved by fans of The Legend of Zelda series. So maybe it’s this that is driving those anticipated 16 million anticipated games – or, more likely, the promise of other games to come. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will be launched on April 28th, Splatoon 2 some time this summer, and Fire Emblem Warriors in the autumn, for example.

So is the Nintendo Switch made to be the casual gamer’s new best friend? Well, when you combine the social aspects, a coming range of games as diverse as the Wii and DS’s, and the revolutionary new and seemingly incredibly easy-to-use hybrid mode, what’s stopping it? And sales, both to date and anticipated, certainly seem to indicate that Nintendo fans don’t find the price tag too expensive.